Slat operating mechanism



Nov. 28, 1950 L. G. BRowN 2,531,499

sLAT OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Jurie l 1945 2 sheets-sheet 1 I /b /X yaS 7 as" MMVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 l.. G. BROWN 2,531,499

SLAT OPERATING MECHANISM Filed June 1 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to awnings for building openings such as windows,and relates more particularly to awnings and relates more particularlyto awnings composed of pivotally mounted horizontal slats or louvers,and commonly called "metal awnings.

An important object of the invention is to provide a slatted awning unitwhich is adapted to be mounted upon the frame of a usual windowily-screen, the slats of which are so designed that sun light isexcluded at the ends of the slats, even though the slats are inpartially opened position.

Another object is to provide an awning of this class which when fullyclosed, will exclude wind and rain.

A further object is to provide an actuating y mechanism for operatingall of the slats in unison, and which is comparatively cheap tomanufacture, simple to install, positive in action, and is capable oflocking the slats in their closed po- Sitions.

A still further object is to provide an awning of this class which isstrong and durable, even though formed of comparative thin gauge sheetmetal.

Other object will be apparent from the followingr description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying two sheets of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the awning unit, andlooking at the outside thereof, the slats being shown in fully openedpositions;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inside of one endportion of the unit, the slats being shown in fully closed positions,and the actuating mechanism being shown in its locked position;

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the or window portion, uponwhich the illustrated embodiment of the invention is adapted to beinstalled or mounted. The usual fly screen is composed of a rectangularframe having two of the side rails I, the lower ends of which arespacedly held parallel by the bottom rail 3 and the upper ends of whichare held similarly spaced by a top rail, not shown. The space betweenthe frame members is covered by a netting or screen slat actuatingmechanism, its parts being shown in slightly separated positions, but intheir correct positions relative to each other;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view looking at the inside of thelower right hand cor- .y

tions 22.

ner portion of the unit. portions of the splashplate and the fly-screenframe being shown slightly separated from the unit, but in their correctpositions relative to the unit and to each other; and,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View taken sub- I` stantially along theline 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the iigureswherein they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral I indicates the vertical side rail of a usualfly-screen frame referred to as a whole by the numeral 2, and thenumeral 3 indicates the lower horizontal rail of the frame. Thefly-screen frame 2 is not a part of the device of the present invention,but is the element,

The device per se consists of a rectangular awning frame I0 preferablymade of sheet metal, and composed of two parallel vertical side membersII and I2 which are identical in cross-section. The bottom ends of theside members II and I2 are held in rigid spaced relation by a sill I3,and their upper ends are similarly connected by a head member I4.

In cross-section, as may best be seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 5, the sidemembers I3 each has a longitudinally extending at portion I5 extendingthroughout its length, and adapted to lie flatly against the frontsurface I6 of one of the side rails I of the screen frame 2. The termfront is used herein to designate the surf-ace facing a person who isoutside of the buildiing upon which the device is installed. A pluralityof spaced perforations Il are provided for the purpose of receivingdetents, such as wood screws I8, for holding the member in place uponthe screen frame. Each side member further includes a series of selfformed bends which combine to retain the opposite edge I8 of the sidemember in a forwardly facing position. In other words. the

f edge I8 faces the same direction as does the front face IB of the siderail I of the screen frame 2. The front edge portion of the side memberI2 is flat. and its side faces are at right angles to that of the ilatportion I5. 'I'his flat forward portion is indicated by the referencenumeral I9.

The sill i4 has a downwardly projecting portion Eil adapted to beattached flatly against the forward face 2| of the bottom frame member 3by detents, not shown, inserted through perfora- The sill I3 is furthercomposed of a forwardly extending flat portion 23, the extreme frontedge of which terminates in a close-bend which formsa bead 24.

The head member I4 has a flat vertically extending portion 25, a ilatforwardly extending portion 26, and a downwardly and forwardly slopingvisor portion 21. The vertical portion 25 is `provided with spacedperforations 23 through deformity which is bulged outwardly a slight.

distance as best shown in Figure 5. A pivot pin 36 passes through eachof the perforations 33 and also through one of a series of verticallyspaced perforations 3l inthe at portion I9 of one of the side members IIor i2. The shutters 35 may each. be moved pivotally, with the pins 3eacting as an axis, and are so arranged or spaced from each other thatwhen pivoted to a closed position, as shown in Figures 2 and' 4, thelower bead' of each shutter overlaps the upper outside edge of' theshutter lying sub-j acent thereto.

' The inwermcst'of theehutters 3d is so arranged that its lower bead 3 Ifits snugly against the front beaded edge of the sill I3?. The uppermostofthe 'shutters 3e is so arranged, that when the shutter isr in. closedposition, its upper bead 3i fits snugly beneath the nether surface ofthe visor 2lY of the head member 'I4'. It is thought to be apparent,that when the shutters 3E] are all in closed positions, the entirecentral opening of the awning frame Iii is completely closed. Also.,thatV when thev shutters are in their fully opened positions, as shownin Figure 1, the opening ispractically free of. obstructionI tov the;passages of air. The shutters may, of course, be selectively disposed.at any desired angle with. relation tothe vertical. Admission orexclusion of the direct rays of the sun may therefore be regulated atwill..

Et is pointed ou-t that the shutter ends '32 act to exclude the entry ofsun rays at a downward angl-e from the side of the frame II), even whenthe shutters are in fully opened. positions. as in Figure 1,.v Also,that. wind and rain may be effectively excludedby closingallof theshutters.

Since there might bear chance of some rain beating past the shuttersbetween the outer side surfaces of their ends 32,V and the insidesurfaces of the fiat portions It of the side members I2, a splash-platelil (Fig- 4) may ifi desired be provided between the front surface I@ ofthe screen frame side.- rail i., and the rear surface of the at portionsi5 of the side members II and I2. This splash-plate may be held in placeby the detents il, and is provided with perforations Al for re\ ce-ivingthem. The splash-plates d@ each consistsV of a flat portion. 42 adaptedto lie flatly against the screen side railV I, and of a bevelled orslanted lip i3 which projects beyond the inside edges lill of theshutter ends 32. Provision of the splash-plate de is optional.

It is desirable that the shutters 3@ beV operated in unison, `and tothis end, similar end portions 32 of the shutters 5t are connected by avertically disposed actuating strip or rod d5. The two strips 45 areidentical and each is spacedly perforated to receive pivot pins t5.There is one pivot pin 4.5 for each shutter` end portion 32, and thepins each passesI through one of the perforations 34 in the shutter endportion. Obviously, vertical movement of one of the actuating rods willcause simultaneous pivotal movement of all 'of the. shutters, and alsowill cause simultaneous vertical movement of the other actuating rod4.5.

Similarly, pivotal movement of one shutter `will cause identicalmovement of all other shutters.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5 of the drawings, it is pointed outthat the outside surface of the strip lies beyond the inside surface ofthe portion I9 of the side member l2, and consequently the strip lies inthe same plane as the opening between the side member I2 and the end 32of the shutters. The strips 45 therefore act also to exclude passage ofthe suns rays through said opening. Y

In order to selectively move one of the actuating rods 45 vertically,the following described actuating mechanism is provided.

A ilat metal bracket is attached by detents 5I to the rear face of oneof the screen frame side rails I. The bracket 53 extends inwardly towardthe other rail I to a point aV desired distance beyond the edges 44 ofthe end portions 32 of the shutters, and its inner end portion isprovided with a transverse perforation 52.

An operating handle 53 havingv a horizontal portion 54 and a. hand-holdportion 55 at right angles thereto, is. provided for operating theactuating mechanism, and to this'. end, the horizontal portion 5d hasits. free end threaded as shown at 55, and has twoflattenedsidesradjacent its threads. One of the flattened sides is indicated bythe reference numeral 51A and is shown in Figure 3.

After being passed through the perforations 52, the horizontal portion5l! of the handle is inserted through a loop 58 of a brace 59., a washer`60, a perforation 5I in a second bracket'y `52, a washer 53, and apolygonal perforation 54' in the lower end of a link or crank member 65.The flattened portions 5l of the handle seat firmly within theperforation 54 so that rotative movement of the hand-ley portion- 5ewill actto move the crank in a similar direction. A lock-washer 56 andnut El are-provided' around the threads 55 of the handle, the nut 6lpreferably beingof the acorn type. Deformities @Il are provided on theportion 54v of the shaft for positively engaging the inside surface ofthe bracket 5d.' The bracket 52 is welded firm-ly to the ilat portion I5of one of the side members II` or I2.

l In assembling the parts on the horizontal portion 54 of the handle,tightening the acorn nut 6l acts to draw the second bracket G'Z'intofirm clamping engagement with the front face Ie of the screen rail I,while the deformities 8e force the bracket 58 into similar engagementwith the rail I. The lower end of the brace 59 is anchored to the insideedge 58 of the screen rail I by a detent 69. The loop 58A of the bracemay be adjustably tightened around the" handleportion by manipulation ofa bolt' lil. The inside end portion of the second bracket S is providedwith a stop TI for limiting movement of the crank in one direction. Thestop 'Hl is bent at right angles tothe remainder of the brace, andextends forwardly into the path of the crankl t5.Y

The actuating mechanism further includes a partially twistedstrap-likemetallink i2 which has its lower endpivotally connected to the upper endof the crank I65 by a pivot pin 13. The upper end portion 'I4 of thelink 'i2 lies flatly against the inside rearmost surface of one of theend portions 32 of a shutter 3e, and is pivotall'y connected to theshutter end, and also to the adjacent actuatingl rod 45 by-.a threadedvpin l5. A spacer nut T6 is provided on the pin 15' between the endportion 32 of the shutter and the rod t5'. A nut l1 is provided on theheadless end of the pin for holding the link l2 and rod 45 in Iclosepivotal relation to the shutter end 32.

It is thought to be apparent that manual movement of the hand holdportion 55 of the operating handle 53 in a downward direction Will movethe crank 65 and link l2 upwardly, and such upward movement of the linkl2 will move the operating rod 45 in a similar direction. Since theactuating rods are pivotally connected to the rear portion of all of theshutter ends 32, upward movement of the rods cause a downward movementof the edges of the shutters. The arrangement of the crank G5, pin 13and link 12 is such that as the shutters reach fully closed positions asshown in Figure 2, the pin 13 passes slightly beyond center of the link'l2 and crank 65. The stop 'Il acts to limit movement of the crank andlink. When the pin 13 is past center, the shutters are eifectuallylocked in their closed positions, and cannot be pried open from thefront of the device.

It is thought that operation of the device is apparent from theforegoing description, and that a stripped awning has been disclosedwhich will accomplish all of the objects and purposes for which it isintended.

The awning shown in the drawings and described herein is an embodimentintended for use upon house and building openings, but it is intended tomodify the device in order to accommodate it to `automobile or otherwindows. I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the specificembodimeht shown, further than I am limited by the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In an actuating mechanism for horizontally positioned axiallypivotable shutter slats, said slats having an actuating bar pivotallyconnecting their ends whereby reciprocation of the bar simultaneouslymoves the shutters, the combination of a link having its upper endpivotally connected to one shutter for pivotally moving the same; asecond link having one end pivotally connected to the lower end of therst link, said second link having a polygonal opening through its otherend; a horizontal shaft having a polygonal portion inserted in said linkopening; a lockwasher and a nut on the router end of said shaft forretaining the same in said link opening; a pair of bracket plates eachattached rigidly to an opposite surface of la frame stile, said platesbeing alignedly perforated and rotatably supporting said shaft; a bracemember having one end rigidly attached to said stile and lying betweensaid plates, the other end of said brace member journalling said shaft;a shoulder on said shaft adapted to contact the one of said plates lyingmost remote from said nut, whereby said nut and shoulder retain theentire assembly in operable relationship; and. a crank arm on that endof the shaft which lies most remote from the nut.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, in which the shaft journalling endof said brace member is adjustable so that selective tension may bepla-ced on the shaft to retard its ease of rotation.

3. Structure as specified in claim 1, and means carried by said bracemember for selectively adjusting its tension around the shaft.

4. In an actuating mechanism for horizontally positioned axiallypivotable shutter slats, said slats having an actuating bar pivotallyconnecting their ends whereby reciprocation of the bar simultaneouslymoves the shutters, a link having one end pivotally connected to one ofthe shutters for pivotally moving the saine, and a second link Numberpivotally connected to the first link and having a polygonal openingthrough its other end, the combination of: a horizontal shaft having apolygonal portion inserted in said polygonal link opening; means forretaining said shaft in said opening; a pair of bracket plates eachyattached. rigidly to an opposite surface of a frame stile, androtatably supporting said shaft; a brace member having one end rigidlyattached to said stile and lying between said plates, the other end ofsaid brace member journalling said shaft with adjustable tension; and acrank arm on the shaft for :aiding manual rotation thereof. i

5. In an actuating mechanism for horizonta positioned axially pivotableshutter slats, said slats having an actuating bar pivotally connectingtheir ends whereby reciprocation of the bar simultaneously moves theshutters, a link having one end pivotally connected to one of theshutters for pivotally moving the same, and ya Second link pivotallyconnected to the rst link and having a polygonal opening through itsother end, the combination of a horizontal shaft having `a drivingconnection with said second link; a pair 0f bracket plates rigidlyengaging opposite surfaces of a frame stile, and rotatably supportingsaid shaft; a crank arm on said shaft for aiding manual rotationthereof; and means for applying adjustable tension to the shaft forselectively altering its ease of rotation.

6. In an awning having a frame with horizontally positioned axiallypivotable shutter slats mounted therein, said slats having an actuatingbar pivotally connecting their ends whereby reciprocation of the barsimultaneously moves the shutters, the combination with a horizontalcrank-shaft rotatably mounted to the frame adjacent the slat ends, andwith operative connections between the shaft and the bar forreciprocating the bar by rotation of the shaft, of: a clamp membercarried by the frame and engaging the shaft; and means for selectivelyadjusting the frictional engagement of the clamp member with the shaft,and thereby holding the slats in various partially open positions.

7. In an awning having a frame with horizontally positioned axiallypivotable louvers mounted therein, the combination with a horizontalcrankshaft carried by the frame, and Ywith 'operative connectionsbetween the shaft and the louvers, whereby rotation of the shaft acts toselectively pivot the shutters simultaneously, of: adjuastable meansapplied to the shaft for frictionally retarding its rotation, andthereby retaining the louvers in various partially open positions.

8. Structure as specified in claim 7, in which said means includes: afriction brake member carried by the frame and surrounding the shaft;and an adjusting screw for manipulating the clamp.

LEMUAL G. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 182,992 Byam Oct.. 10, 1876 1,142,412Fitzgerald June 8, 1915 1,431,691 Schroder Oct. 10, 1922 2,209,384 BrownJuly 30, 1940 2,311,300 Dubour et al Feb. 16, 1943 2,359,289 Brown Oct.3, 1944

